Chapter 7
Battles
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna made there way up to Gryffindor Tower.
"I'm glad Dumbledore gave me full access to Gryffindor Tower, so I can stay with you guys," said Luna, trying to lighten the mood.
"I can't believe I said that," said Harry still upset over what he had yelled at Raya. "But the worst part is I still want to go and fight."
"But you heard what Raya said," said Hermione, "she just wants what's best for us."
"Yeah," said Ron, "but not for her. It almost seems like she is sacrificing herself for our safety."
"We should help her!" said Ginny.
"But she said not to," said Hermione, "what if she gets mad at us?"
"Well," said Neville, "if we help her she shouldn't be too mad at us."
"I don't know," said Hermione biting her bottom lip.
"Well," said Harry, "if you don't want to you can stay up here by yourself."
"No!" said Hermione, "I'll come!"
"Great!" said Harry, "lets get the weapons that Dumbledore gave us before school started."
"What about us?" asked Neville, "me and Luna don't have anything."
"Dumbledore gave us each more than one weapon," said Ginny as they reached the portrait hole, "Hippogriff Tails."
The portrait hole swung open and they all ran in. They reached a part of the wall covered in tapestry. Ron lifted the tapestry and there was a small door about a little shorter than a house elf. He pried the door open and there was a collection of swords, crossbows and other weapons.
Ginny took out a long spear. It had a long wooden handle and a incredibly sharp tip. Ginny, being a chaser, had a great throwing arm and was great with a spear.
Neville drew out a short sword. He not having much practice looked very odd holding out the weapon.
Luna drew out a bow and arrow set. She, even being a wizard, went to a muggle summer camp where they had archery lessons and she was really good.
Hermione took out a crossbow. She had excelled to an incredibly scary level of being good at the crossbow. She was amazing; she could hit almost anything thrown her way.
Ron took out a long sword. The blade was engraved with various incantations of good luck. The hilt was made out of a sterling silver.
Harry took out a sword identical to Ron's. They both had loved fencing.
"Okay," said Harry, "I think we're ready."
"No," said Ginny, "remember what Dumbledore told us? If we are in a planned battle we must be dressed so that no clothing can get in out way. Our robes could trip us."
"Fine!" said Harry, impatiently, "everyone lets go up to our dormitories and dress appropriately.
About ten minutes later Harry, Ron, and Neville stood at the bottom of the girls' staircase waiting for them to come down.
Finally the door opened and Luna came rushing down the stairs. She wore tight black leggings that clung to her legs and a long sleeved salmon top with a tight black vest. Her hair she let hang and he swayed as she ran.
Ginny came next were the exact same thing except for her long sleeved top was white. Then Hermione after wearing the same outfit except her top was dark purple.
After everyone checked to make sure that no item of clothing could sway and get in their way they all grabbed their weapons and ran down towards the Great Hall.
"Wait!" cried Hermione and she ran to a window that faced Hagrid's, "there are torches! By Hagrid's! There already outside."
"Do you see Raya?" asked Ron coming up beside Hermione.
"No," said Hermione, "its to dark. I just see the torch light!"
"Let's go," said Harry.
"But what if it's a trap?" asked Neville.
"We'll find out," said Harry and they ran down the stairs.
When they got to the hall. They snuck quietly and got out of the doors. The night was like ice on their skin.
"Look!" cried Hermione.
A great black mass was moving away from them towards the forest.
"C'mon!" said Ginny and they ran after the group.
When the got close all the bodies of the great mass stiffened and turned to look at them. Though the friends could not see the faces of the cloaked men they could tell that they were smiling.
"Come for us have you?" asked a cruel and menacing voice.
"Yes," said Harry, "you've come for someone we aren't going to let you get."
"And what makes you think that you can stop us?" asked the cloaked figure stepping closer.
Hermione whimpered and tugged Ron's shirt. Ron turned and saw that they cloaked figures were circling them. Trapping them.
"Harry," whispering Ron, "they are surrounding us."
"We are prepared to fight you," said Ginny raising her spear.
"Then let us fight," said the cloaked figure and she drew out her wand.
She lifted her wand and pointed it at Ginny who screamed.
"Aveada Keda-" began the Death Eater, when she howled with pain.
Hermione had shot the Death Eater with her crossbow. She yelled in pain one last time and slumped over, falling in front of Ginny. From there the men all drew their wands.
A whisper could be heard roaming through the trees of the Forbidden Forest.
"Get Ready," whispered Harry and the group of friends moved closer together.
Another whisper and then in the distance a horse neighed and then a sound like thunder could be heard echoing through the forest just reaching the ears of the six friends.
Then Draco and Raya on horse back came galloping through the mass of men.
"What are you doing here!" screamed Raya as she brought down Talatha on the enemy closest to her, "what did I tell you?"
"To stay!" said Harry, "but we came to help."
"Yeah," said Raya, "this is how you help? By ruining the plan! Argh!"
She groaned in frustration.
"Surrender yourself Raya Potter," said a cloaked man, "or we will take you by force."
"You will take me neither way," said Raya and her horse drew up of her hide legs and slammed down upon another cloaked figure.
"Or they die," said the cloaked figure.
"I am not fooled by tricks," said Raya, "you will not kill them before you have me."
"Then I will have you," said the cloaked figure.
With that he muttered a spell and Raya was thrown from her horse. She spun sideways of the horse and landed on the ground.
"Amaltheea," cried Raya, "go! Taree! Taree!"
Harry did not understand. She spoke another language. The horse seemed to understand and rode off as fast as lightening.
Raya picked up her sword and slashed one of the cloaked figure.
"Draco!" cried Raya, "get the ones in the back!"
Draco rushed off to do as Raya told him.
The same cloaked figure that had knocked her off her horse came to her.
"You will join us before the sun rises," said the cloaked figure.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," said Raya.
"I will have at thee," said the cloaked figure, "Frilous Devion!"
A light of red sparks flew towards Raya's face. Just as Harry thought they would burn her she bent backwards and ducked under the fiery sparks.
"You'll have to do better than that!" cried Raya, and she pulled out her own wand so fast that Harry didn't even see her hand move. "Saltoa Poliea!"
The spell hit the cloaked figure but it did nothing. He laughed and drew out a sword of his own, but as he laughed Raya came upon him and slashed him.
"Harry!" she called, "warn the others some of them have swords!"
He wanted to answer but he became quickly distracted. He used his sword to do what Raya had done to him earlier that day in her training room. He brought his sword down upon a cloaked figure's sword and then as quickly as he could spun around, but instead of clashing with his sword again the blade came in contact with the cloaked figure's neck and he fell to Harry's feet.
Ginny fought amazingly. She was stabbing left and right. She was able to spin the spear to keep a nice circle around her so nobody could come too close to her.
Hermione made managed to get through the crowd unnoticed. She had climbed a tree and sat among the branches hidden from view. She would shot and nobody could tell where the shots were coming from.
Luna was just outside the circle. Her being small nobody noticed her. She would shoot the cloaked figures from behind.
Ron was fighting his way between Hermione. He wasn't going to leave her alone. He had gotten a gash to the face that stung but he managed to ignore it and managed to keep the cloaked figures from being able to pin-point Hermione's location.
Neville using his short dagger was beside Harry, fighting for his life.
Draco was near the back while Raya managed the front. Draco was still a top his horse, named Bunny. A beautiful mare with a silky soft brown coat. He rode through the crowd searching for Raya. He had seen her be knocked from Amaltheea. Where was she?
"Raya!" screamed Draco, "Raya where are you?"
Then he saw her. She had climbed the tallest of the trees that bordered the forest and was looking west. Draco turned his gaze to see what she was looking at. His jaw dropped. There coming over the mountains were millions of torches. With black blob shapes carry them. He couldn't make out what they were yet, but they were not human.
Hermione had leapt down from the tree when one of the cloaked figures and pointed to her spot in the tree. Since she wore such dark clothing she blended in with the darkness of the forest so they lost her when she had left her spot. She looked over when she saw light flicker.
"Hagrid," she whispered aloud to herself.
The door began to open. Hermione grabbed her crossbow and ran for the door.
"Who's there?" asked Hagrid's familiar voice.
"No Hagrid!" screamed Hermione at the top of her lungs.
The door opened wider. Hermione groaned.
"Hermione? Is that you?" asked Hagrid he stepped out on the step and looked westward and saw the battle. "Oh Lord."
Hermione wouldn't make it over to the door in time. Just as she saw one of the cloaked figures take aim with his wand and Hermione thought Hagrid had no hope. She felt a nudge from behind her. She turned sharply to see Amaltheea.
Amaltheea lowered herself quickly. This registered with Hermione immediately. She jumped on and rode as fast as she could. As they were riding Hermione took out her own wand and remembered the best deflecting charm she could remember. Just as the spell was set from the wand she rode I front of Hagrid and yelled the deflecting spell and the spell backfired and struck the cloaked figure, doing no damage. Hermione turned the horse sharply.
"Hagrid, get back inside now," said Hermione.
"Hermione?" asked Hagrid, "what's happenin'."
"Hagrid please just get safe inside," said Hermione.
Hagrid shut the door.
Hermione dismounted Amaltheea.
"Thank you," she said and the horse ran off again to save the day somewhere else.
Hermione ran and climbed another tree from where she could shot without being noticed again. She heard a door shut and looked towards Hagrid's cabin and the door was closed. Whether it was him shutting his front door or something else she did not have time to ponder for her mind was brought back sharply to the battle when Ron called out her name in panic.
She peered through the leaves. She saw his hair dodging frantically left and right occasionally stopping to slash someone in his way. He kept yelling her name over again. She wanted to scream to him, "Here, Love!" But that would give her away. She had to ignore it and keep aiming.
Ginny was starting to lose control over the neat circle she had formed around her.
"It's time to teach you a lesson," yelled one of the cloaked figures. "Crucio!"
Ginny screamed. Pain seemed to jolt through her every vein. She fell to her knees and then on her face. She kept screaming incoherent words. Harry heard her.
"Neville stay here!" screamed Harry just to be heard over the battle cries and the clashing of metals.
Neville looked panicked but turned his attention back to the particularly stubborn cloaked figure that won't die. He had stabbed him seven times and still he kept coming at him.
Harry ran through the crowd searching. He didn't know who's scream it was but it was a friend's, he could feel it. He saw up ahead a particularly bunched group of cloaked figures.
"Whoever screamed must here," thought Harry.
He slashed his way through the circle receiving a beating charm to the stomach and a slash on the arm. He got to the middle and saw Ginny quivering and shaking and writhing on the floor. Harry felt the blood running throughout his veins begin to burn. He looked around.
"Who did this!" he screamed at them.
The cloaked figures laughed. Harry went for the one closet to Ginny
Ron (who had thought it was Hermione who screamed) came bursting through the crowd.
"Ginny!" he cried. "Harry! You know how to stop it. I kill, you heal!"
Harry nodded as Ron took his place and he knelt beside Ginny. And whispered a couple complicated spells that Lupin had taught him before he went into sixth year. Ginny stopped writhing and quivering, however she didn't stop shaking or crying.
"Harry," she whimpered softly.
"I'm here Gin," said Harry and he lifted her up "damsel in distress" style and carried her out of the battle.
He looked up, which just happened to be west, to see if he could see find Raya, or somebody to help him. That's when he first saw the great black mass moving towards them from over the mountains. Harry saw something moving toward him out of the corner or his eye. He spun around and drew out his sword (as best he could with Ginny in his arms) to meet his attacker head on, however when he saw who it was he relaxed. Raya took one look at Ginny and took her in her arms.
"Go back and fight," said Raya, when Harry began to protest, "please I can heal her faster and with the new troops coming in we need to heal her as fast as we can."
Harry looked behind Raya and even before Harry even tried to say, "Look out!" Raya had unsheathed her sword and slashed down her attacker from behind.
"Go!" she cried and ran with Ginny into the forest.
Raya laid Ginny down.
"Raya it hurts," cried Ginny.
"I know," said Raya and she murmured. "He put a very powerful Crucio curse on you. They put dark words behind it."
She looked at Ginny.
She laid her hand on top of Ginny's forehead.
"Medicor femella noceo malus," she whispered.
Ginny felt a small tingle where Raya's hands touched her face.
"You should feel better in a matter of moments," said Raya, "I know it still hurts. Do you want me to stay with you until you have fully healed?"
Ginny barely was able to nod her head yes.
Raya held Ginny's hand. Ginny squeezed her hand tight. It hurt so much. Then the pain started to reside and her grip on Raya loosened.
It was still hard for Ginny to catch her breath. And suddenly, the pain was gone.
Ginny breathed in deep and let go or Raya's hand. She slowly sat up.
"You all right?" asked Raya brushing the hand back from Ginny's eyes.
"I think so," said Ginny, "go. They need you."
"Are you sure?" asked Raya getting up slowly.
"Yeah," said Ginny, "go."
Raya nodded her head and ran out of the forest leaving Ginny trying to stop her head from spinning.
Ron saw Raya running through the woods with out Ginny.
"Where's Ginny!" cried Ron.
"She's safe," said Raya, "don't worry. You have a strong sister."
"So does Harry," said Ron grinning, and he ran back into the fight.
Raya smiled and ran into the fight as well.
Luna was still in back fighting from behind. She spun around and saw a great black mass moving less than 20 yards away. She knew they were evil. She could see from here their eyes glowing red with hate and love of blood. She drew an arrow and let it fly into the black mass. An awful cry was heard.
Raya looked towards the west and saw how close the black mass was.
"Amaltheea!" she called, "tula sinome!"
Amaltheea jumped through a wall of cloaked figures (still many left), trampling them as she went. She came up beside Raya who mounted her.
"Let's go!" said Raya.
Amaltheea ran through the crowd. Raya held out her sword.
The cloaked figures, now Raya noticed, all bore the Death Eater mark.
"Death Eaters," said Raya to herself, "should have known Voldemort would have sent his goons to do the work for him."
Then one of the Death Eaters cried out an explosive spell. The spell flew through the air. In the direction that Raya knew Hermione was. Raya could just see Hermione jump from the tree and saw that the bomb was heading for Hagrid's house. Then it hit.
With a loud, thundering, boom Hagrid's house lit fire with a gigantic explosion.
"HAGRID!" cried Hermione as she stood narrowly being missed by the scorching pieces of debris. Finally she jumped back into a neighboring tree and started firing arrows one after another, very quickly.
Raya, even not knowing Hagrid, knew this was a loss indeed. Anger flowed through veins. He was Harry's friend. He wasn't even fighting! Cowards. Hatred coursed through her. She spun her horse I the direction the bomb had come from and ran at top speed. She entered a large cluster of Death Eaters. She slashed and they fell at her feet.
Finally she had slashed the last of the cloaked figures.
Hermione jumped own from her spot in the trees.
"Hermione!" cried Ron and he ran to her.
He hugged her with such force she was having trouble breathing.
"Yes, Ron," said Hermione smiling, "I'm all right."
"And you're not hurt?" asked Ron.
"No," said Hermione.
"Great!" said Ron and he planted a kiss on her lips. "Let's keep it that way."
"We might not be able to keep it that way," said Ginny coming out of the forest.
Draco looked west and saw that the black blob shape had moved closer and now looked like an army of creatures.
"We've got company," said Draco.
They stood there looking out at the sea of black while they stood in a sea of dead bodies clouded by capes and darkness.
They held out their weapons. But before the black crowd got to them and white flame seemed to erupt in the middle of the path. It as very bright and all of the eight friends closed their eyes. When the light subsided, the black army was gone.
"Where did they go?" asked Luna looking at Raya.
"I don't know," said Raya keeping her eyes steady on the place where the army had been. "But I think I know who did it."
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